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Travel

A Moment of Solitude

I turned 40 during COVID. Definitely not the 40th birthday that I imagined I would have, but it turned out to be an entirely different kind of wonderful. Fortunately, I work for an amazing organization and I was able to take the week of my birthday off for some rest and wellness. In the effort to curb the spread of…

Travel Guide: Oregon to Northern California Road Trip Loop

We planned our camping trip this year to show our daughter some of the most iconic nature parks on the west coast. In a total of 6 days, we completed our Oregon to Northern Cali Loop – starting on the Oregon coast, we drove down Hwy 101 to the Oregon sand dunes and the Redwoods in Northern California, then up to…

Best Camping Gear for Family Car Camping

I have fond memories of camping with my family when I was a kid. Most commonly we were car camping because we did a lot of our camping while on road trips around the country. In preparation for our family camping trip this Summer, I found myself feeling nostalgic for those camping trips of my youth. I loved my mother…

Why I Love Sneakers

It’s no surprise that I love sneakers. I especially love sneakers that are comfortable, get me where I need to go, and look good doing it. I’ve tried many brands, but the brand of sneakers that have always fit my feet the best and most consistently is New Balance. I have 3 pairs in my closet right now…

Soda Bread+ Recipe

Even before our recent trip to Ireland, I have had a love of soda bread. Such a simple recipe, but a staple in my “comfort food” recipe box. This past weekend, my daughter and I made a loaf of soda bread and cottage pie for dinner.Here is my favorite Irish recipe for soda bread, and some of our variations…

Eagle Eye Yoga

When I first began Shoulders With Freckles, I was desperately seeking a personal creative outlet, but also running multiple business, managing mommyhood to our amazing Princess Gwendelyn (now 7 years old!) and trying to still find time to fuel my marriage, friendships and family.Needless to say, I only got so far into getting Shoulders With Freckles off the ground…

Why Nature Loves Hexagons

During a recent whirlwind tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland, we visited Giant’s Causeway as do scores of other tourists and locals. The geological formations are stunning and fascinating. My science-wired brain was immediately curious about how such a consistently hexagonal structure forms in nature.In my quest for knowledge, I found a great article that quickly puts…